“There are rich people everywhere, and yet they do not contribute to the [economic] growth of their own countries.”

If such a statement were made by an activist at an Occupy Wall Street rally, most adults would chuckle and recommend the budding young Marxist take a course in economics. But what do we do when the claim is made by Hillary Clinton at an event hosted by a former U.S. president and in front of an audience of global leaders?

As Secretary of State, Clinton is the U.S.’s top diplomat and a key spokesperson for America’s interest across the globe. What interest is being promoted by such absurd, economically illiterate class warfare rhetoric?

Does Secretary Clinton think we’d be better off without the wealthy? As Gene Veith asks, “if you do believe the rich are such shiftless, lazy freeloaders why should any country want them to stay around?”